Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a method for producing a cable harness, in particular for the automotive sector, wherein a number of individual lines are combined to form one line bundle, and wherein the line bundle is provided with a bundling element. Moreover, the invention relates to a cable harness including a line bundle made from a number of individual lines and provided with a bundling element, such as is described, for example, in German Application DE 10 2004 023 334 A1.
In the context of the production of prefabricated cable harnesses, for example for the automotive sector, individual lines are often combined to form line bundles. That makes it possible to simplify inter alia the installation or the fitting of a respective prefabricated cable harness since only a small number of line bundles instead of many individual lines have to be laid or installed. Also, depending on the method, a certain dimensional stability is achieved by the bundling, which dimensional stability may be desirable in order, for example, to ensure that the lines, after installation in an automobile, do not come into contact with certain locations in the automobile. Moreover, the installation space available in particular in an automobile may be better utilized as a result of the bundling.
The correspondingly combined lines are typically held together as a bundle in that case with the aid of taping, wherein the taping is typically configured in that the respective lines are wrapped in an adhesive plastic or textile tape. Alternatively, cohesion of the individual lines of the line bundle is achieved with the aid of so-called corrugated tubes which are available as prefabricated components and into which the lines are threaded or are introduced, for example through a slot or some other opening. Moreover, it is known for the combined lines to be provided with a sheathing, that is to say, for example, to be insert molded in plastics. In some cases, tapings, corrugated tubes and sheathings are employed in combination, for example when a plurality of line bundles are to be combined in a further process step to form an even larger unit, that is to say to an even larger line bundle having even more lines.
Apart from classic taping, methods in which first of all a woven textile fabric or a non-woven is placed around the lines, and an adhesive, a resin or some other binding or solidification agent is then applied to the fabric or non-woven, in particular also for configuring a complete cable sheathing, are also known. Such methods may be derived, for example, from German Application DE 10 2013 012 996 A1, corresponding to U.S. Applications 2014/0105769 and 2016/0380494; from German Application DE 101 49 071 A1, corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 6,936,553; or from German Application DE 199 37 446 A1, corresponding to U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,436,528 and 6,451,146.
Furthermore, classic (injection) molding is also known for configuring cable sheaths. According to German Application DE 43 21 044 A1, injection-molded bodies are injection molded onto the line bundle at discrete locations.
A substantial disadvantage of those methods is the issue that in particular the taping or the introduction of the lines into respective corrugated tubes usually has to be performed manually since respective operative steps cannot be readily automated. However, corresponding automation would be desirable since it can reduce inter alia the production costs for respective cable harnesses.